Kentucky’s next generation is in good hands with Governor Beshear: Opinion

On Monday, December 5, 2022, Governor Beshear attended a ceremony celebrating Ford’s renewed commitment to our commonwealth. The ceremony, which occurred on the same day in which Governor Beshear officially filed for reelection, saw Ford Motor Company break ground on its new EV battery production plant in Elizabethtown – a $5.8 billion investment that will generate more than 5,000 jobs in our state.

Moreover, this is only the tip of the prosperity iceberg that Kentucky’s economy has collided with. While across the United States, millions are out of work and facing prices that are a steep percentage higher than ever before, Kentucky — with a spirit more unbridled and resilient than ever — is doing just fine.

In fact, Kentucky has sustained its largest economic growth in three decades. Our state achieved 14.6% growth over the last year — additionally, our state’s two largest surpluses on record have been recorded in the past two years under Governor Beshear’s leadership.

All of this at a time when the largest global corporations are pumping billions into our state’s economy.

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Since Governor Beshear was inaugurated in Dec. 2019, our state has received a $1.5 billion investment from Amazon as a result of establishing the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as its shipping hub for air parcels. In addition, this impacted 2,000 additional jobs in the area.

But this is only the beginning.

In all, Ford Motor Company's recent unprecedented investment in our state implicates a $11.4 billion dollar investment impacting 11,000 new jobs. In addition to the economic achievement, this investment establishes Kentucky status as a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing.

But the list doesn’t stop there. While Kentucky’s manufacturing industry is booming at a record pace, its agricultural industry is as well.

Unbeknownst to many, Kentucky contains one of the largest buildings in the entire world — the AppHarvest Farm in Morehead.

The 2.76 million square foot behemoth employees 300 farmers who work diligently to operate one of the most advanced additions to the farming industry in modern history. Moreover, AppHarvest is pledging to open a dozen more by 2025 — a pledge that will no doubt sustain even more economic and job growth.

But even then, the list doesn’t reach its point of exhaustion. Kentucky’s crown jewel, the bourbon industry, has grown at a rate that leaves it worth just shy of $9 billion dollars — a result of a 360% increase in production over the past two decades, a time period period in which Beshear and his father have governed for a combined 12 years.

Kentucky’s economic improvements have left it with an economy that finds itself larger than major developed nations — including Greece, Iraq, Ukraine and Qatar — not to mention an economy that dwarfs that of many nearby states.

For my generation, perhaps the most notable advancement of all is Kentucky’s newfound status as a leader in sustainability.

Ford Motor Company’s investment will ensure that Kentucky is a leader in electric vehicle production — and AppHarvest’s practices reduce water usage by 90%. Both of these are unprecedented steps toward sustainability.

Not only has Kentucky received investment from companies with a commitment to sustainability, but its public sector has been working towards sustainability for years.

Kentucky has the first net-zero emissions school in the United States of America — and it has for nearly a decade.

Even culturally, Kentucky is advancing its relevance with the Kentucky Derby having amongst its highest viewership in 33 years and pop music sensation Jack Harlow being a Louisville native that routinely features the Commonwealth in songs. In fact, Harlow was even nominated for three Grammy awards this week — alongside fellow Kentuckians Chris Stapleton and Carly Pearce. This comes as Harlow landed himself on the cover of British GQ’s ‘Men of the Year’ magazine edition.

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Kentucky has made improvements in two areas that make it one of the greatest places in our country to live — development and sustainability.

Our country continues down a path of inflation and a looming recession. In Kentucky, my generation is reminded of our governor’s continued commitment to ensuring our state as a viable place for our future.

His commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed. Alongside an upcoming election in less than a year, our governor — the second youngest in the United States — is also amongst the most popular.

According to FiveThirtyEight, Governor Beshear is the most popular democratic governor and the fourth most popular outright.

That leaves Kentucky’s future in the hands of a chief executor more popular than nearly 4 dozen of his peers — a fact that will undoubtedly manifest as a great challenge for his nearly half dozen opponents for reelection.

For the candidates that aim to unseat Beshear, a cataclysmic performance in the midterm elections coupled with a Trump-controlled GOP will undoubtedly serve as a grave, if not insurmountable, barrier to the candidates’ desires to achieve victory.

Ultimately, his leadership and guidance on public health issues, economic development and sustainability have made him one of the most revered elected officials in our nation and commonwealth.

Moreover, his leadership and sustained commitment to our state is responsible for my generation's desire to stay in our commonwealth and continue his unprecedented work.

Kentucky’s next generation will grow up in a commonwealth better than ever before — and it's thanks to the profound efforts by our Governor.

Zachary Clifton is a Kentucky student and youth activist from Corbin, Kentucky.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky’s next generation is in good hands with Governor Andy Beshear